How Sixers must deploy Markelle Fultz isn't a debate, and numbers prove it

Through three quarters, playing off the ball with Ben Simmons running the point, Fultz looked much the same as he has throughout his young NBA career. He was reticent to shoot any sort of jump shot and looked unclear in what exactly his role was. He struggled to produce, and his presence seemed to have a disruptive effect on the offense. Then, in the fourth quarter, something magical happened.

With the Sixers holding a big lead, the 20-year-old took over the primary ballhandling responsibilities and everything changed. Fultz suddenly looked confident and assertive. He moved with purpose and took the shots that were given to him. Fultz scored seven points in the quarter and for the first time showed signs of being the player the Sixers thought they were getting when selecting him number one overall.

Sixers Wire’s own Cameron Fields broke down the differences between Tuesday and Thursday night for Fultz beautifully. Fields noted the change that occurred with Fultz handling the ball and how allowing him to operate in ball screens could help maximize his effectiveness. A deeper dive into the guard’s one year at Washington supports this theory.

Fultz thrived at Washington as the pick and roll ballhandler, netting 1.01 points per possession and ranking him in the 93rd percentile, per Synergy Sports. He shot 51.5 percent in those situations. In straight screen scenarios, Markelle put up 1.16 points per possession on 48 percent shooting.

Here’s a shot chart of Fultz as the P&R ballhandler at Washington.

In comparison, Fultz ranked in the 69th percentile in spot up situations, with his field goal percentage falling to 42 percent. Continuing the trend, he managed just 0.66 points per possession in isolation, shooting a mere 33.3 percent. He shot just 38.3 percent in catch and shoot situations. Fultz ranked in the 15th percentile as a cutter.

This is Fultz in spot ups and isolation with the Huskies.

Digging deeper into his pick and roll success, we see a player with excellent decision making. When electing to use the pick, Fultz was in the 92nd percentile with 1.16 points per possession and when rejecting the screen that jumps to 1.47 points per possession, ranking in the 98th percentile.

Clearly, the Washington freshman was adept at reading the defense and making the correct decision while operating the pick and roll. In addition, Synergy’s numbers suggest that Fultz is equally proficient working to his left or his right in these situations, adding flexibility to the offense and putting pressure on the defense.

The difference between on-the-ball and off-the-ball Fultz was distilled perfectly by a pair of plays on Thursday night. In the first quarter, he received a pass on the wing with an ocean of space around him. He paused, dribbled toward the elbow and into a pair of defenders, then passed the ball. Conversely, handling the ball in the fourth quarter, he confidently dribbled forward and launched a pull-up three, which he drained.

The numbers paint a pretty clear picture of where Fultz is most effective, and the eye test on Thursday night backed them up. While it’s easy to understand Brett Brown’s desire to get the second-year player in the starting lineup and facilitate his growth, perhaps forcing him into a starter’s role isn’t the most effective way to do that at this point.

The book on Markelle Fultz is still being written, and he very well may develop into a player that can play alongside Ben Simmons. But there’s overwhelming evidence that right now the best thing for Fultz, and the Sixers, is to put him in a situation where he can be the primary ballhandler. That could be the key that unlocks whatever is hindering him at the moment and puts him on the path to being what the team needs him to be.